619: Road to the Apple II: Apple for Sale (Part 1)
Summary
In this episode of Designed in California, hosts Mike Hurley and Jason Snell explore Apple’s precarious early days in 1976, focusing on the transition from the niche Apple I to the consumer-focused Apple II. They reveal that Steve Jobs attempted to sell the company to Atari and Commodore, with Jobs famously demanding $100,000 and jobs for both co-founders. After discovering Commodore’s shady reputation, Jobs rejected the deal, choosing to build Apple independently despite financial struggles and growing tensions with Wozniak.
Topics discussed
Intro: Steve Jobs on the Apple II in 1977
The Apple I: A hobbyist kit, not a consumer product
Apple's precarious position in late 1976
Wozniak designs the Apple II while Apple struggles
Jobs' failed attempts to sell Apple to big tech
Designed in California Kickstarter update
Rejections from HP, Atari, and Nolan Bushnell
The shady history of Commodore and Jack Tramiel
Tramiel's background and Commodore's business tactics
Jobs pitches Apple to Commodore for $100k
Jobs backs out after researching Commodore's reputation
The fallout and preview of the Atlantic City fair
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